Apparatus and method for providing bristle products

ABSTRACT

An apparatus ( 1 ) for producing bristle products ( 2 ), in particular brushes, brooms and/or paint brushes, having at least two stations ( 3,4 ) and a transport apparatus ( 5 ), with which the bristle product bodies ( 6 ) and/or bristle products ( 2 ) to be processed are movable from station to station. The transport apparatus ( 5 ) has at least two transport planes ( 7,8 ) which are independent of one another and in which bristle product bodies ( 6 ) and/or bristle products ( 2 ) can be supplied to the stations ( 3,4 ) for processing and/or handling.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of German Patent Application No. 10 2022 100 131.8, filed Jan. 4, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for producing bristle products, in particular brushes, brooms and/or paint brushes.

BACKGROUND

Such apparatuses and methods are already known from practice in different embodiments.

SUMMARY

It is the object of the invention to provide an apparatus and a method for producing bristle products that enable bristle products to be produced as efficiently as possible.

To achieve this object, first of all an apparatus having the features of the independent claim which is directed toward such an apparatus is proposed. To achieve the object, therefore in particular an apparatus for producing bristle products, in particular brushes, brooms and/or paint brushes, is proposed, which apparatus has at least two stations and a transport apparatus, with which bristle product bodies and/or bristle products to be processed are movable from station to station. According to the invention, the transport apparatus has at least two transport planes which are independent of one another and in which bristle product bodies and/or bristle products can be supplied to the stations of the apparatus for processing and/or handling.

The supply of bristle product bodies and/or bristle products in one transport plane can take place here independently of a supply of bristle product bodies and/or bristle products in the at least one other transport plane.

Since the supply of the bristle products and/or bristle product bodies is distributed between at least two different transport planes of the transport apparatus, it is possible to compensate for or to span different process times at the individual stations of the apparatus. While the supply of bristle products and/or bristle product bodies in one of the transport planes may be interrupted because of longer lasting processing, the supply of bristle product bodies and/or bristle products can in the meantime take place via the at least one other transport plane of the transport device and the production can be continued. Downtimes in the individual stations of the apparatus are thus effectively reduced or even entirely prevented.

The apparatus can be in the form of a carousel machine. In this case, the transport planes can each form a closed transport track. Bristle products and/or bristle product bodies can be supplied along the transport track to the stations of the apparatus independently of the supply on the transport track of the other transport plane. The transport tracks of the transport planes are preferably circular. This enables an apparatus for producing bristle products to be provided requiring little space. The stations of the apparatus can be arranged distributed uniformly around a centre of the apparatus, about which the transport tracks run.

The transport apparatus can have, in each transport plane, at least one transport holder for at least one bristle product body and/or bristle product. The transport holders can be configured for clamped holding of bristle product bodies and/or bristle products. The bristle products and/or bristle product bodies can be supplied to the stations of the apparatus by means of the transport holders.

In one embodiment, the transport holders of the individual transport planes can be moved independently of transport holders in another transport plane.

In one embodiment of the apparatus, the transport apparatus has, in each transport plane, a number of transport holders corresponding to the number of stations of the apparatus. This configuration of the apparatus is particularly advantageous if the process times of the processing and/or handling steps carried out at the individual stations last for a comparatively long time.

If individual processing steps require longer process times than other processing steps, the number of transport holders per transport plane can be adapted, in particular reduced. It is thus possible for the number of transport holders to be lower by one or two than the number of stations, in particular than the number of processing stations of the apparatus. In one embodiment of the apparatus, a number of transport holders corresponding only to half the number of stations, in particular processing stations of the apparatus, is provided per transport plane.

At least one part of the delivery movements which may be required during the processing of the bristle product bodies or the bristle products can be carried out by transport holders. For this purpose, it can be advantageous if at least one transport holder is movable in a plurality of axes, for example in at least three axes, in particular whenever the transport holder is arranged in a processing position at a station.

In one embodiment of the apparatus, it is provided that a plurality of transport holders of a transport plane are movable independently of one another along a transport track of the transport plane. In this embodiment of the apparatus, there is then no rigid interlinking between the transport holders of a transport plane. Rather, the transport holders can be moved independently of one another along the transport track of their transport plane from station to station. In this way, it is possible to already move a transport holder to a following station while another transport holder still remains at a station, for example because this requires a longer process time for carrying out the processing steps provided at it.

In one embodiment of the apparatus, a rigid interlinking of the transport holders of a transport plane is provided. This arrangement is appropriate especially whenever the process times of the processing or handling steps at the individual stations of the apparatus last for a similar length or even an identical length.

In one embodiment of the apparatus, the transport planes each have at least one transport guide, along which the transport holders can be moved. The transport guides can predetermine a transport track of the respective transport plane. For example, a guide rail can serve as a transport guide.

In one embodiment of the apparatus, the transport planes each have at least one rack for the transport holders. The transport holders can then be moved along the rack within their transport planes by means of a transport drive in the form of a gearwheel drive.

At least one station can be a processing station and can have at least one processing unit. The processing unit of the at least one station can be guided movably at the station and moved into different processing positions. Each of the transport planes can be assigned at least one of the different processing positions. Bristle products and/or bristle product bodies can thus be processed at each of the transport planes. It is thereby possible to move such a processing unit between the transport planes and to undertake processing of bristle product bodies and/or bristle products at each of the transport planes. This increases the flexibility of the apparatus. In addition, only one processing unit then needs to be kept at the at least one processing station, which processing unit can be assigned as required to the individual transport planes of the transport apparatus in order to undertake processing there of bristle products and/or bristle product bodies.

At least one station, in particular a processing station, can have a guide, along which at least one processing unit is movable into the processing positions assigned to the transport planes. The guide can be a linear guide. The guide can predetermine a movement direction for the processing units, which movement direction is oriented transversely or at a right angle with respect to the transport direction which is predetermined by the transport apparatus of the apparatus.

At least one transport holder can be mounted movably along a movement axis which is oriented transversely or at a right angle with respect to the transport direction predetermined by the transport apparatus. The movement axis of the transport holder can also be oriented parallel to a movement axis of a movable processing unit of a station of the apparatus. In this way, it is possible to move the transport holder in synchronism with a movement of a processing unit as required and/or to position the bristle product bodies and/or the bristle products relative to a processing unit during the processing.

The apparatus can have, as a station, a drilling station, a tufting station, a final processing station and/or a handling station.

At a drilling station, bundle-receiving holes can be produced in bristle product bodies held ready on the transport holders. In a tufting station, the bundle-receiving holes can be tufted with bristle bundles. In a final processing station, final processing of the bristle product bodies and/or of the bristle bundles can be undertaken. An example of a final processing station can be a grinding station and/or a milling station. At a handling station, it is possible to provide the transport holders of the apparatus with bristle product bodies and/or to remove finished bristle products from the apparatus and to transfer them, for example, to a downstream process step. For example, a handling robot with a corresponding handling gripper can be provided at the handling station.

The apparatus can have, as a processing unit, a drilling unit, a tufting unit and/or a final processing unit, for example a milling unit and/or a grinding unit. The apparatus can have at least one transport drive, for example a gearwheel drive, for at least one transport holder, and/or at least one positioning drive for at least one transport holder and/or at least one positioning drive for a processing unit of the apparatus.

It is possible by means of the transport drive to move the at least one transport holder along the transport track of its transport plane from station to station. By means of a positioning drive, it is possible to position the at least one transport holder, for example, transversely with respect to the transport direction predetermined by the transport apparatus and/or in its plurality of movement axes.

By means of a positioning drive which is assigned to at least one processing unit of the apparatus, the processing unit can be moved into processing positions on the at least two transport planes of the apparatus. Furthermore, said positioning drive can also be used to undertake positioning of the processing unit relative to a transport holder during the processing of a bristle product body and/or a bristle product.

The apparatus can furthermore have at least one controller or control unit which is configured to activate functional units of the apparatus. For example, the controller can be configured for activating the transport apparatus and/or the stations and the processing units thereof. The controller can furthermore be configured for activating the previously mentioned positioning drives of the apparatus and/or the transport drive of the transport apparatus.

To achieve the object, a method for producing bristle products is also proposed, which method has the means and features of the independent claim which is directed towards such a method. To achieve the object, in particular a method for producing bristle products is proposed, wherein a processing unit of the apparatus is moved from a starting position on a starting transport plane by transport planes of the apparatus into a target position on a target transport plane of the transport planes of the apparatus in order to process a bristle product body and/or a bristle product which is arranged on a transport holder of the target transport plane.

Bristle products and/or bristle product bodies can be supplied in each of the individual transport planes independently of a supply in another of the transport planes. The method can be carried out using an apparatus according to one of the claims which is directed towards an apparatus for producing bristle products.

In this way, it is possible for bristle product bodies and/or bristle products to be processed with a processing unit selectively on different transport planes.

In one embodiment of the method, it is provided that the transport holder of the target transport plane and the processing unit are moved in synchronism with one another on their way into the target position, wherein the processing unit processes a bristle product body arranged on the transport holder and/or a bristle product arranged on the transport holder during the synchronized movement.

In this way, it is possible to minimize waiting times or down times that occur during the transfer of the machining unit from the starting transport plane to the target transport plane by the fact that the processing unit is accompanied at least in part of its transfer movement during the change from the starting transport plane into the target position on the target transport plane by the transport holder of the target transport plane in a synchronized movement. This permits the beginning of the processing of a bristle product body arranged on the transport holder and/or of a bristle product arranged on the transport holder even before the target position is reached.

The travel time in which no processing of a bristle product and/or of a bristle product body clamped on the transport holder can take place is thus effectively minimized.

In one embodiment of the method, provision is made that the synchronized movement of the transport holder and of the processing unit into their target position is oriented transversely, in particular at a right angle, with respect to a transport direction of the transport apparatus of the apparatus. This orientation of the movements relative to the transport direction which is predetermined by the transport apparatus of the apparatus is suitable in particular in apparatuses, the transport planes of which are arranged vertically one above another.

Directions of the synchronized movement of the transport holder and of the movement of the processing unit into the target position are preferably oriented parallel to one another.

The transport holder can be moved into a receiving position which is arranged adjacent to the starting transport plane. The transport holder can be moved into a receiving position which is arranged in a plane, in particular in a horizontal plane, between the starting transport plane and the target position or in a plane, in particular in a horizontal plane, in which the target position of the processing unit is also located.

In one embodiment of the method, provision is made that the transport holder is moved into the receiving position before the processing unit reaches the target position. The transport holder can be moved in synchronism with the processing unit into a plane, in particular into a horizontal plane, in which the target position is located. The movements of the transport holder and of the processing unit can be synchronized with one another here.

The direction of the movement of the transport holder into the receiving position can be opposite to the direction of movement of the processing unit into the target position.

By positioning of the transport holder into the receiving position, the transport holder can already move a short distance towards the processing unit on its path into the target position in order to minimize the distance which the processing unit has to cover by itself without the transport holder and within which processing of a bristle carrier clamped to the transport holder or of a bristle product clamped to the transport holder cannot take place.

As soon as the processing unit has left the starting transport plane and entered into a region on the target transport plane, the synchronized movement of the transport holder from the receiving position into a plane, in particular into a horizontal plane, in which the target position is located can take place. The processing of the bristle product body and/or of the bristle product on the transport holder is preferably already begun here.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment, but is not restricted to this exemplary embodiment. Further exemplary embodiments emerge by combining the features of individual claims or a plurality of claims with one another and/or in combination with individual features or a plurality of features of the exemplary embodiment. In the figures:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an apparatus for producing bristle products, the apparatus comprising three processing stations and a handling station and a transport apparatus having two independent transport planes in which bristle product bodies can be moved independently of one another from station to station by means of transport holders,

FIG. 2 shows a view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 from a perspective rotated by 90 degrees in comparison to FIG. 1 with a view of a tufting station of the apparatus,

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , to illustrate a movement of processing units into processing positions which are assigned to a lower of the two transport planes,

FIG. 4 shows a view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 3 from the perspective according to FIG. 2 ,

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 , wherein the transport holders of the lower transport plane are arranged in receiving positions adjacent to the upper transport plane from which the processing units are delivered,

FIG. 6 shows a view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 5 from the perspective according to FIGS. 2 and 4 ,

FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 , wherein transport holders and the processing units of the lower transport plane have arrived into target positions on the lower transport plane by means of a synchronized movement, and

FIG. 8 shows a view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 7 from the perspective according to FIGS. 2, 4 and 6 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

All of the figures show an apparatus, denoted in its entirety by 1, for producing bristle products 2, namely brushes, brooms and/or paint brushes. The apparatus 1 has a total of four stations, of which three stations are processing stations 3 and one station is a handling station 4.

The apparatus 1 comprises a transport apparatus 5 with which bristle product bodies 6 and/or bristle products 2 to be processed can be moved from station to station 3, 4. The transport apparatus 5 is in the form of a transport carousel and comprises two transport planes 7 and 8 which are independent of each other and in which bristle product bodies 6 and/or bristle products 2 can be supplied to the stations 3 and 4 of the apparatus 1 for processing and/or handling.

The apparatus 1 may be referred to as a carousel machine because of the transport apparatus 5 in the form of a transport carousel. The transport planes 7 and 8 are arranged vertically one above the other and each have a closed transport track 9, along which the bristle products 2 and/or bristle product bodies 6 can be moved from station to station 3, 4. In the case of the apparatus 1 shown in the figures, the transport tracks 9 of the two transport planes 7 and 8 are circular.

The upper transport plane is denoted by 7, the lower transport plane by 8. The two transport tracks 9 of the transport planes 7 and 8 run around a centre axis of the transport apparatus 5, about which the bristle products 2 and/or bristle product bodies 6 can be transported from station to station 3, 4.

In each transport plane 7 and 8, the transport apparatus 5 in each case has four transport holders 10 for one bristle product body 6 or one bristle product 2 in each case. The bristle product bodies 6 and bristle products 2 can be moved along the transport tracks 9 within the individual transport planes 7 and 8 between the stations 3 and 4 of the apparatus 1 by means of the transport holders 10. Each transport plane 7 and 8 therefore has a number of transport holders 10 corresponding to the number of stations 3 and 4 of the apparatus 1.

Each of the transport holders 10 can be moved in a plurality of axes, in the case of the exemplary embodiment of the apparatus 1 shown in the figures in three axes in each case. In this way, the bristle products 2 and/or bristle product bodies 6 clamped to the transport holders 10 can be correspondingly positioned at the processing stations 3 for processing.

In the case of the apparatus 1 shown in the figures, the transport holders 10 of each of the two transport planes 7 and 8 can be moved independently of one another along the respective transport track 9 of the transport planes 7, 8. In an embodiment of the apparatus 1 that is not shown in the figures, the transport holders 10 are rigidly interlinked within a transport plane.

The transport planes 7 and 8 each have two transport guides 11 and a rack 12 for the transport holders 10. The two transport guides 11 are designed as transport rails in which the transport holders 10 are hung. The transport guides 11 predetermine the transport track 9 of the respective transport planes 7, 8. The racks 12 of the two transport planes 7 and 8 serve for driving the individual transport holders 10. In the exemplary embodiment of the apparatus 1 that is shown, a gearwheel drive 30 is used as the transport drive 26 of the transport apparatus 5. The transport holders 10 can be moved along the respective rack 12 from station to station 3, 4 of the apparatus 1 via the gearwheel drive 30.

Each of the processing stations 3 has a processing unit 13 which can be adjusted into different processing positions respectively assigned to the transport planes 7 and 8. It is thereby possible to move the processing units 13 of the processing stations 3 to and fro between the transport planes 7 and 8 in order to process bristle product bodies 6 and/or bristle products 2 held ready on the transport planes 7 and 8.

In order to be able to move the processing units 13 of the processing stations 3 between the transport planes 7 and 8, the processing stations 3 each have a guide 14, namely a linear guide, along which the respective processing unit 13 is movable into the processing positions respectively assigned to the transport planes 7 and 8. The guides 14 each predetermine a movement direction which is oriented transversely, namely at a right angle, with respect to the transport direction which is predetermined by the transport tracks 9 of the transport apparatus 5.

The transport holders 10 arranged on the two transport planes 7 and 8 can also be moved along a movement axis 15 which is oriented transversely with respect to the transport direction of the transport apparatus 5. In this way, positioning movements during the processing of bristle products 2 and/or bristle product bodies 6 and also synchronized movements with respect to the processing units 13 of the processing stations 4 of the apparatus 3 can be carried out by the transport holders 10.

The apparatus has a drilling station 16, a tufting station 17, a final processing station 18 and a handling station 19 as processing stations 3.

The drilling station 16 has a drilling unit 20 as a processing unit 13. A tufting unit 21 is provided as a processing unit 13 at the tufting stations 17. A milling unit or else a grinding unit with which bristle bundles tufted into bristle products bodies 6 by means of the tufting unit 21 can be shortened and/or ground is provided as the final processing unit 22 of the final processing station 18.

The handling station 19 has a handling gripper 23 with which bristle product bodies 6 can be picked up by a feeder 24 and placed into the transport holders 10 of the transport apparatus 5. The handling grippers 23 of the handling station 19 are also used to remove finished bristle products 2, which pass again with the transport holders 10 to the handling station 19 after the final processing at the final processing station 18, and to deposit them on a tray 25 for a following handling and/or processing step.

The transport holders 10 can be moved along the transport tracks 9 within the transport planes 7 and 8 from station to station 3, 4 by means of the transport drive 26. In the drilling station 16, the bristle product bodies 6 held ready at the transport holders 10 are provided with bundle-receiving holes. This is undertaken by means of the drilling unit 20 of the drilling station 16. In the subsequent tufting stations 17, bristle bundles are tufted into the produced bundle-receiving holes by means of the tufting unit 21.

The final processing of the bristle products 2, for example by grinding and/or shortening of the bristle bundles, takes place in the downstream final processing station 18.

The transport holders 10 can be positioned in the three axes, already mentioned previously, at the respective processing station 3 or at the handling station 4, 19 by means of a positioning drive 27. The positioning drive 27 can also be used to move the transport holders 10 along the movement axis 15 transversely, namely at a right angle, with respect to the transport track 9 of the respective transport plane 7 and 8.

The processing stations 3 also each have a positioning drive 28. The positioning dries 28 can be used to position the processing units 13, 20, 21 and 22 of the apparatus 1 along the guide 14. This takes place firstly for processing the bristle products 2 and bristle product bodies 6 each kept ready on the transport planes 7 and 8 for processing and secondly to move the processing units 13 to and fro between the transport planes 7 and 8 if processing of bristle product bodies 6 or bristle products 2 is intended to be displaced from one transport plane 7, 8 to the other transport plane 7, 8.

The previously mentioned functional units of the apparatus 1 can be activated by means of a controller 29 of the apparatus 1. The controller 29 is therefore configured for activating the transport apparatus 5, the stations 3, 4, 16, 17, 18, 19, the processing units 13, 20, 21, 22 and the handling gripper 23, the transport drive 26, namely the gearwheel drive 30, and the positioning drives 27 and 28. The feeder 24 and tray 25 of the apparatus 1 can also be activated using the controller 29.

The previously mentioned apparatus 1 is configured for carrying out the method for producing bristle products 2 that is explained below.

In this case, a processing unit 13, 20, 21, 22 is moved from a starting position on a starting transport plane, for example on the upper transport plane 7 of the two transport planes 7, 8 of the apparatus 1, into a target position 31 on a target transport plane, for example on the lower transport plane 8 of the two transport planes 7, 8 of the apparatus 1, in order to process a bristle product body 6 and/or a bristle product 2, which bristle product body/bristle product is arranged on a transport holder 10 of the target transport plane 7, 8.

The transport holder 10 of the target transport plane 8 is moved into its target position 31 in synchronism with the movement of the processing unit 13. During said synchronized movement of the transport holder 10, processing of the bristle product body 6 and/or of the bristle products 2 arranged on the transport holder 10 is already taking place by means of the processing unit 13, 20, 21, 22. A comparison of FIGS. 1, 3, 5 and 7 or 2, 4, 6 and 8 makes this clear.

FIG. 1 shows, for example, how the drilling unit 20 of the drilling station 16 processes a bristle product body 6 which is held ready on a transport holder 10 of the upper transport plane 7. In the meantime, a transport holder 10 of the lower transport plane 8 is moved with an as yet unprocessed bristle product body 6 to the drilling station 16.

A comparison of FIGS. 1 and 3 clarifies that the transport holder 10 of the upper transport plane 7 is moved in synchronism with the drilling unit 20 in the direction of the lower transport plane 8 even as the bristle product body 6 held ready in the upper transport plane 7 is being processed. This takes place by displacing the transport holder 10 along the movement axis 15 of the transport holder 10 of the upper transport plane 7 in the direction of the lower transport plane 8.

FIG. 3 shows that the drilling unit 10, after the bristle product body 6 has been processed, is moved further along the guide 14 on the upper transport plane 7 in the direction of the lower transport plane 8.

In the meantime, the transport holder 10, located at the drilling station 16, of the lower transport plane 8 has already been moved together with the next bristle product body 6 to be processed into a receiving position 32 which is adjacent to the upper transport plane 7. This takes place by means of a movement, oriented in the direction of the starting transport plane 7, of the transport holder 10 of the lower transport plane 8 along its movement axis 15.

A distance which the processing unit 13, namely the drilling unit 20, has to cover on its path from the starting transport plane 7 to the target transport plane 8 without the possibility of processing a bristle product body 6 which is kept ready on the target transport plane 8 is thereby minimized. FIG. 5 shows that the drilling unit 10 can thereby begin comparatively early with the processing of the next bristle product body 6.

FIGS. 2, 4, 6 and 8 show that the bristle product bodies 6 are processed at the tufting station 17 in the same way. The final processing of the bristle products 2 in the final processing station 18 is also carried out in the same way.

The synchronized movement of the respective transport holder 10 and the movement of the processing unit 13 assigned thereto takes place transversely, namely at a right angle, with respect to a transport direction which is predetermined by the transport apparatus 5 by means of the transport tracks 9 of the two transport planes 7 and 8.

The transport holders 10 are moved into their receiving position 32 before the processing units 13, 20 and 13, 21 are moved into their target positions 31 at the drilling station 16 and the tufting station 17. The movements of the transport holders 10 into their receiving positions 32 are opposite here to the movements of the processing units 13, 20 and 13, 21 into their target positions 31. The transport holders 10 are moved from their receiving positions 32 in synchronism with the movements of the processing units 13, 20 and 13, 21 together with the latter in horizontal planes in which the target positions 31 of the processing unit 13 are located.

The distances to be covered in each case for the processing units 13, 20 and 13, 21 and within which bristle product bodies 6 or bristle products 2 cannot be processed are minimized in advance by means of the movements of the transport holders 10 into the receiving positions 32.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show transport holders 10 of the lower transport plane 8 already in their receiving positions 32. The receiving positions 32 of the transport holders 10 are arranged adjacent to the starting transport plane 7 and in horizontal planes which are located between the starting transport plane 7 and the target positions 31 of the respective processing units 13, 20 and 13, 21 on the target transport plane 8. FIGS. 7 and 8 show the processing units 13, 20 and 13, 21 in their target positions 31.

In FIGS. 5 and 6 , the transport holders 10 continue to be arranged in their respective receiving position 32. The processing units 13, 20 (FIG. 5 ) or 13, 21 (FIG. 6 ) have then reached a position which is already located in the region of the lower transport plane 8.

The movements of the transport holders 10 into their receiving positions 32 take place in the direction of the starting transport plane 7 and, as already explained previously, are opposed to the movements of the processing units 13, 20 and 13, 21 into their target positions 31.

Starting from the position respectively illustrated in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 , the processing units 13, 20 and 13, 21 are moved into their target positions 31 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , respectively. Together with the respective processing unit 13, 20 and 13, 21, the transport holders 10 are moved from their receiving positions 32, shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , in synchronism with the respective processing unit 13, 20 and 13, 21. During said synchronized movement, a bristle product body 6 clamped on the respective transport holder 10 can already be processed by the corresponding processing unit 13, 20 or 13, 21 before the target positions 31 according to FIGS. 7 and 8 are reached.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

1 Apparatus

2 Bristle product

3 Station, namely processing station

4 Station, namely handling station

5 Transport apparatus

6 Bristle product body

7 Upper transport plane

8 Lower transport plane

9 Transport track

10 Transport holder

11 Transport guide

12 Rack

13 Processing unit

14 Guide for 13

15 Movement axis of 10

16 Drilling station

17 Tufting station

18 Final processing station

19 Handling station

20 Drilling unit

21 Tufting unit

22 Final processing unit

23 Handling gripper

24 Feeder

25 Tray

26 Transport drive

27 Positioning drive for 10

28 Positioning drive for 13

29 Controller

30 Gearwheel drive

31 Target position

32 Receiving position 

1. An apparatus (1) for producing bristle products (2), the apparatus comprising: at least two stations (3,4); a transport apparatus (5) with which at least one of bristle product bodies (6) or the bristle products (2) to be processed are movable from one said station to another said station; wherein the transport apparatus (5) has at least two transport planes (7,8) which are independent of one another and in which the at least one of the bristle product bodies (6) or the bristle products (2) are suppliable to the stations (3,4) for at least one of processing or handling.
 2. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, wherein at least one of a) the apparatus (1) comprises a carousel machine or b) the transport planes (7, 8) in each case have a closed transport track (9).
 3. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, further comprising, in each transport plane (7, 8), at least one transport holder (10) for at least of one said bristle product body (6) or at least one said bristle product (2).
 4. The apparatus (1) according to claim 3, wherein the at least one transport holder (10) is movable in a plurality of axes.
 5. The apparatus (1) according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of said transport holders (10) of at least one said transport plane (7, 8) are movable independently of one another along a respective transport track (9) of the respective transport plane (7, 8) or a plurality of said transport holders (10) of at least one said transport plane (7, 8) are rigidly interlinked.
 6. The apparatus (1) according to claim 3, wherein at least one of a) the transport planes (7, 8) each have at least one of a transport guide (11) or a rack (12) for the transport holders (10), or b) the apparatus (1) further comprises a transport drive (26).
 7. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, wherein at least one said station (3, 4) has at least one movably guided processing unit (13) which is adjustable in processing positions assigned to the transport planes (7, 8) in order to process the at least one of the bristle products (2) or the bristle product bodies (6) on each of the transport planes (7, 8).
 8. The apparatus (1) according to claim 7, wherein at least one said station (3, 4) has a guide (14) along which the at least one processing unit (13) is movable into the processing positions assigned to the transport planes (7, 8).
 9. The apparatus (1) according to claim 7, further comprising at least one transport holder (10) that is mounted movably along a movement axis (15) which is oriented at least one of transversely or at a right angle with respect to a transport direction of the transport apparatus (5) or parallel to a movement of the processing unit (13) of one said station (3, 4) between the processing positions assigned to the different transport planes (7, 8).
 10. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, wherein the stations (3, 4) comprise at least one of a drilling station (16), a tufting station (17), a final processing station (18) or a handling station (19).
 11. The apparatus (1) according to claim 7, wherein the processing unit (13) comprises a drilling unit (20), a tufting unit (21), a final processing unit (22), a milling unit, or a grinding unit.
 12. The apparatus (1) according to claim 3, further comprising at least one positioning drive (27, 28) for at least one of the at least one transport holder (10) or a processing unit (13, 20, 21, 22).
 13. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, further comprising at least one controller (29) configured for activating at least one of the transport apparatus (5) or the stations (3, 4).
 14. A method for producing bristle products (2), the method comprising: moving a processing unit (13) from a starting position on a starting transport plane (7, 8) of at least two transport planes (7, 8) into a target position (31) on a target transport plane (7, 8) of the transport planes (7, 8); and processing at least one of a bristle product body (6) or the bristle product (2) arranged on a transport holder (10) of the target transport plane (7, 8).
 15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising synchronously moving the transport holder (10) of the target transport plane (7, 8) and the processing unit (13) on their way into the target position (31), and the processing unit (13) processes the at least one of the bristle product body (6) or the bristle product (2) during the synchronized movement.
 16. The method according to claim 15, wherein a movement of the transport holder (10) and a movement of the processing unit (13) into the target position (31) are oriented transversely with respect to a transport direction of the transport apparatus (5) of the apparatus (1).
 17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising moving the transport holder (10) into a receiving position (32) which is arranged at least one of adjacent to the starting transport plane (7, 8) or in a plane between the starting transport plane (7, 8) and the target position (31) of the processing unit (13).
 18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising moving the transport holder (10) into the receiving position (32) at least one of before the processing unit (13) passes into the target position (31) or before the transport holder (10) is moved in synchronism with the processing unit (13) into a plane in which the target position (31) of the processing unit (13) is located.
 19. The method according to claim 18, wherein at least one of a) the movement of the transport holder (10) into the receiving position (32) takes place in a direction of the starting transport plane (7, 8), or b) the movement of the transport holder (10) into the receiving position (32) is opposed to the movement of the processing unit (13) into the target position (31). 